{"podcast":{"title":"Coaster Radio: The Original Theme Park Podcast","slug":"coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729","podcast_index_feed_id":910729,"rss_url":"https://coasterradio.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://www.coasterradio.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/f/0/9/3/f0933fc6b08f7a70d959afa2a1bf1c87/CR_3000x3000.png","author":"Mike Collins","episode_count":870,"summary":"A weekly podcast dedicated to theme parks, roller coasters and thrill rides. During each show, we talk about the total theme park experience. We'll have interviews with the people making decisions at your favorite park, reviews and ratings of the newest rides and attractions, discussion about everyday park experiences and chances to win tickets and merchandise from parks around the country!","last_synced_at":"2026-09-13T14:21:01.888858+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729"},"episode":{"title":"Something Big Is Coming to Epic Universe's Portals — We Just Don't Know What","slug":"something-big-is-coming-to-epic-universe-s-portals-we-just-don-t-know-what","published_at":"2026-04-17T22:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729/something-big-is-coming-to-epic-universe-s-portals-we-just-don-t-know-what","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729","url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/coasterradio/coasterradio_2114.mp3","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/coasterradio/coasterradio_2114.mp3?dest-id=25785","summary":"Something strange is happening at the portals of Epic Universe — and Mike and EB saw it coming. Weeks ago, walking out of Isle of Berk, Tom from Louisville spotted three capped utility holes flush in the concrete right at the portal entrance. Nobody knew what they were. This week, Universal installed facial recognition turnstiles in those exact spots. And Universal has said absolutely nothing about why. Mike and EB break down every theory — per-portal tickets, open Celestial Park access like a City Walk, corporate buyouts locking guests out of entire lands for the night, after-hours experiences, and the unexplained pockets of empty retail space in Celestial Park that have never made sense for a fully ticketed theme park. Nobody has the answer yet. But this is the most interesting story in theme parks right now. Also this week — Universal Orlando launches Express Now, an app-based Lightning Lane-style line skip at $25 per ride. Yes, including Yoshi's Adventure. There are layoffs happening across Disney and Six Flags that aren't being reported widely but are affecting people the show knows personally. Six Flags reinstates park presidents at 10 parks — and the list of who made the cut says everything about which parks matter to the new company. The Stolen Kingdom documentary from the makers of Closed for Storm is coming — including the Buzzy animatronic mystery, the most unresolved crime in theme park history. And a new S&S tower ride is going up at Area 15 in Las Vegas. Then in the second half — Mike is 48 hours from boarding a plane to Las Vegas, and he's got a very specific list of things to do at night. Universal Horror Unleashed gets the full breakdown — four haunted houses, small group dispatches for maximum scares, a $49 one-time ticket, and a $20 Fraidy Cat op…","meta_description":"Something strange is happening at the portals of Epic Universe — and Mike and EB saw it coming. Weeks ago, walking out of Isle of Berk, Tom from Louisvill…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2369,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729/episodes/something-big-is-coming-to-epic-universe-s-portals-we-just-don-t-know-what/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/coaster-radio-the-original-theme-park-podcast-910729/something-big-is-coming-to-epic-universe-s-portals-we-just-don-t-know-what.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}